Beer-bikes are no longer allowed to roam the streets of Amsterdam, a judge has ruled.

The judge reached his decision in a case related to a May, 2009, accident with a beer-bike in Amsterdam-North. Three women were injured when the beer bike they had rented for a hen party proved too tall for a bike tunnel they tried to enter. »

Amsterdam’s historic grachtengordel (literally, belt of canals) around the city’s center has been added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

Many Amsterdammers view the listing as a mixed blessing. On the one hand they hope that strict Unesco rules will prevent the city council from further damaging the city. On the other hand they fear those same rules could turn Amsterdam in a ’sleepy village.’ »

Two men violently beat up a gay man in Amsterdam because of his sexual orientation. Two suspects have been arrested.

Under Dutch law, should it be proven that the men acted out of homophobia, any resulting punishment will be increased by 50 percent. »

Enjoying a round of drinks at an Amsterdam café terrace will cost you more money than anywhere else in the Netherlands, a survey shows.

The cheapest drinks can be found in Nijmegen, near the German border. »

Casual observers might be forgiven if they thought, based on today’s home-coming celebration for the Dutch National Football Team, that Holland had actually won the World Cup last Sunday.

Nearly 700.000 enthusiastic fans lined the route of a canal boat tour that took the players through the city to Museumplein, where the team was officially honored for its achievements during the World Cup games. [video] »

Even though the Dutch National Football Team did not win the World Cup last night, the City of Amsterdam will nevertheless honor the team with a tour through the city’s canals.

Initially the tour was planned only in the event that the Netherlands would have won the World Cup. »

Hours before the World Cup final match between Holland and Spain will take place Amsterdam’s Museumplein — the largest square in the city — has already colored orange.

At shortly before 5 pm more than 100.000 people are partying at the square, which is said to comfortably hold 30.000 people. »

Updated The population of Amsterdam is expected to more than double this coming Tuesday at police and City officials expect up to a million people to flood the Dutch capital in order to honor the Dutch National Football Team.

If the Netherlands team wins from Spain this Sunday the players will be treated to a tour through the canals of Amsterdam. »

Tourists tend to rate Amsterdammers as both tolerant and helpful, but many expats have a hard time adjusting — and want to leave the city barely one year after settling here.

Now a newly-formed business coalition intends to develop initiatives that will help foreigners feel more at home in Amsterdam. »

A Muslim foundation run entirely by volunteers and financed by donations has rented Amsterdam’s most expensive office location — the historic Montelbaanstoren.

The prestigious office location is now home to Secret Garden, a foundation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Muslims. »

The number of Amsterdam citizens continues to grow — as does the number of foreign nationalities who make the capital of the Netherlands their home.

Many people with a foreign nationality have a Dutch passport. Ultimately 88 percent of Amsterdammers has the Dutch nationality. »

For the third year in a row Amsterdam has moved down in the list of most expensive cities in the world for expats to live in.

In the Worldwide Cost of Living survey 2010, conducted by Mercer Consulting, the city ranks 35th. Last year Amsterdam was listed in 29th place, down 4 places from the year before. »

Amsterdam has dropped in popularity as a destination for cultural city trips.

One of the professors involved in the project says the trend over the past 20 years is that older cultural cities drop somewhat in the rankings, while newcomers such as Berlin and Barcelona are emerging. »

Amsterdam’s historic grachtengordel (literally, belt of canals) around the city’s center will be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July, a spokesman for the organization has said.

But not everyone is pleased with the decision. »

The Amsterdam city council wants to experiment with coffeeshops — those establishments where soft drugs like marijuana and hash are legally sold and consumed.

In one variant drugs would only be consumed on the premises. The other consists only of a take-way counter open during established store hours. »

Amsterdam will soon see its first private student hotel.

City Living provides accommodation for people who are still studying or in the first two years of their professional life. The company’s Amsterdam facilities will include 625 rooms. »

The man whose lengthy scream caused a panicked stampede of a crowd gathered at Amsterdam’s Dam Square for the national Remembrance Day commemorations last May is in trouble again.

Released from pre-arrest just four days ago, the Dam Screamer — as the media has baptized him — was reported to police by Amsterdam municipal workers for defamation. »

The giant drilling machine tunneling its way through the ground underneath Amsterdam’s centuries-old inner city has reached Dam square.

At a speed of 15 meters a day it has already passed two state monuments — the former stock market and the Bijenkorf warehouse. The historic buildings incurred no damage. »

The famous Amsterdam-based bicycle factory De Fietsfabriek is bankrupt.

Insiders report that a ‘large number of creditors’ are owed money, with debts amounting to 1.2 million euro on a yearly turnover of three million euro. »

Positioned at number eight Amsterdam ranks among the top ten city destinations for international congresses and conferences.
Austria and the Netherlands close the country top ten with a shared tenth place. »

In the 2010 version of its annual listing of the World’s Best Cities to live in, Mercer Consulting has again ranked Amsterdam at number 13 — a spot it has occupied since 2006.

That means Amsterdam is among the ‘most livable’ cities in the world. »

• The screamer who created a stampede on crowded Dam square earlier this months remains in pre-arrest.

• The murder of a day care owner last year is being recreated in 3D for use during the trial of the only remaining suspect.

And Westermarkt was the scene of a Kiss-in yesterday — part of an international effort in support of tolerance. »

Updated • Ash cloud closes Amsterdam Airport Schiphol • Cleaners end garbage collection strike now that their demands are met • Lada Gaga visits Red Light District and world famous coffeeshop • DNA research into old murder case.

Plus: Partial re-reopening for the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum of modern art. »

With the arrest of five pimps and four operators of window brothels in Amsterdam’s Red Light District the Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service believes it has captured an international gang of human traffickers.

Enforcing their demands with brute violence the gang forced a large number of women to work as prostitutes. »

The picturesque canals and tree-lined streets of Amsterdam are not as postcard-perfect as usual after garbage collectors went on strike Thursday in demand of higher wages.

The strike is not expected to impact the Tour of Italy bicycle racing events which we take place this weekend. »